JS Tip 594: Leading Through Change, Part V

We’ve been talking about leading through change. 

Four weeks ago, we introduced the acronym ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement) as a leadership tool. 

Today we talk about ability. 

Ability moves knowledge into action. Ability uses skills to make the change acceptable and productive.  

What are the necessary skills?

Time-management skills to schedule and prioritize what has to be done.

Logistical skills to gather the necessary tools.

Coaching skills to train employees in the new programs and processes.

How do we gain those necessary skills? 

Take a personal inventory. What are our strengths? What are our weaknesses? Reinforce the strengths. Resolve the weaknesses. Read. Study. Ask questions. Get out of our comfort zones. Try out the skills. Make mistakes. Acknowledge those mistakes and learn from them.

We’ll close with a quote from Jack Welch: “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” 

Welch was Chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1981-2001. During that time, GE’s value grew over 4,000 percent. And no, that’s not a typo. Four. Thousand. Percent. 

Next week, we’ll talk about the last of the ADKAR building blocks: Reinforcement.

We love this stuff. 

And, again, thank you, Hollie.